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Cities of the Merrovian Empire
These are the major cities and towns of the Merrovian Empire. Merrow The capital of the Empire, Merrow remains even at this late date a city of tremendous achievement. From the Temple of Hextor to the Imperial Palace, the architecture has no parallel in this world. The art and music produced by the Merrovian creative sector continue to delight and astound, and the city itself remains beautiful to behold. However, this veneer of prosperity cannot hide the truth - Merrow is dying. Without the Empire and its taxes to support it, Merrow cannot maintain itself forever. The docks of the city, long filled only with the pleasure-craft of the mighty, is once again a bustling port - but competition with Helmsport is fierce. Asheronopolis A desert city of ancient date, Asheronopolis is situated roughly a thousand miles southwest of Merrow, close to the point at which the desert gives way to the Guardian Mountains. Asheronopolis is best known for its extensive necropolis, a district of the city filled with tombs and temples. While most tombs are simply memorials to the long dead and wealthy, some are trap-filled dungeons defending terrible treasures. Ptompol Ptompol is a desert city between Merrow and Asheronopolis, built around a collection of springs forced to the surface by underground rocks. While now a large town focused on the production of exceptionally fine fabrics, at its height Ptompol was the centre of Merrovian culture, producing art, music and scholarship of the highest grade. With the collapse of the Empire, however, Ptompol is now a shadow of its former glory. Helmsport The largest port on the eastern shore, Helmsport was an important part of the machinery of the Empire's commerce. It was the principal port by which the majority of the Empire traded with Raven, and was also the headquarters of the Eastern Fleet of the Imperial Merrovian Navy. As Merrow became more of a noble's playground, Helmsport became prosperous and successful. The collapse of the Empire has taken much of the shine out of Helmsport - while it remains busy and wealthy, the ships in port are more likely to be trading alcohol and slaves than artworks and food. Adele The Adele city-state was never particularly integrated into the Empire, and the Adele Crisis led to its official secession from the Empire. While it remained Imperial in architectural style, language and the foundation of its laws, Adele remained independent until the Mages War, when the city was effectively destroyed. In the aftermath of the War, the Empire reclaimed the city and its hinterlands, but the population remains minimal and the Empire lacks the resources necessary to restore Adele to its former glory. Al-Purrim A city at the eastern edge of the Guardian Mountains, Al-Purrim is unusual in that it draws a high proportion of its population from the Caliphate of the Serpent. Founded as a trading enclave for Caliphatean merchants, Imperial citizenship was extended to its residents by Pervivon. While the inhabitants consider themselves Merrovian, the worship of the snake-god of the Caliphate is widespread, and the temple of Hextor is considerably smaller than the Temple of the Snake-God. Jeddar A coastal city a few miles north of Al-Purrim, Jeddar also has a significant Caliphatean population. Unlike Al-Purrim, however, the Caliphateans of Jeddar have rejected the Snake-God, and committed themselves to Hextor with a zealousness that even the priests of Hextor find somewhat unnerving. Only the presence of the Legion fort of Dunwall between the two towns has kept the Jeddars and the Al-Purrims from slaughtering each other in the name of their respective gods. Copperton A mining town in the central desert regions, Copperton is built into the foothills of the Guardian mountains. While never a politically significant place, Copperton has always been prosperous from the production of copper, brass, bronze and other metal alloys. Iron mines have been opened near the city, but copper and its derivatives remain the most significant output of the town. Cliffhaven The most southerly town of the Empire - and indeed of the continent - Cliffhaven is an unusual town. It is situated high in the Guardian mountains, against the great southern cliffs that mark the edge of the continent. At the foot of the cliffs great floating harbours have been created, but the town itself is perched at the top of the cliffs, a thousand feet above the waves. Cliffhaven is the only port between Al-Purrim in the east and Southwash in the west. Southwash Southwash is the most southerly port on the western coast, sitting with the Guardian Mountains under its eastern edges. While reasonably prosperous, Southwash has experienced a resurgence over the past few decades following the destruction of Adele. Category:Cities